Ex-teacher found guilty of sexually abusing former pupils

Gerard Singer has been found guilty of abusing nine former pupils at St George's school in Stowmarket between 1978 and 1981

12 July 2016

A former teacher at St. George’s School, Stowmarket, was yesterday found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court of 27 counts of sexual abuse upon nine former pupils.

Gerard Singer, who was accused of sexually abusing children between 1978 and 1981, had pleaded not guilty to 28 charges of sexual abuse upon boys, including one as young as nine years old.

During the criminal trial the prosecution suggested that Mr Singer would befriend pupils before subjecting them to sexual abuse. It was also put to Mr Singer that he fled his position as a languages teacher at the school in 1981 after receiving a warning from senior staff members that his abusive acts were to be exposed.

St. George’s School was subject to a large-scale police investigation in 2009, and since then several former staff members have faced criminal investigations.

In 2010 former Headteacher, Derek Slade, was convicted of a multitude of child abuse offences and later died in prison. Mr Singer had been living in France before being extradited to the UK earlier this year to face the charges of sexual abuse.

It transpired during the criminal trial that Mr Singer had been convicted of sexual aggression on children whilst teaching in France in the 1990s.

The presiding judge described Mr Singer as somebody with “an entrenched propensity” to abuse young boys. Sentencing was adjourned until the end of August and Mr Singer has been remanded in custody.

Andrew Lord, a lawyer in the Abuse team at Leigh Day who is representing one of the survivors of abuse who gave evidence at the trial, said:

“The evidence pointed to Singer’s gross misuse of a position of trust. When considered alongside the convictions of other former staff members, it appears that there was a systemic failure to protect the pupils of St George’s School from abuse over a number of years.

“The fact Singer entered a plea of not guilty meant the complainants were forced to recount their experiences of abuse in open court, with some describing a ‘reign of terror’ at the school.

“We hope that this conviction will go some way towards providing relief to those former pupils involved with the criminal investigation.”